Dittrich



Feb. 28, 1956 R. DITTRICH 2,736,179

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CROCHET CURTAIN I MATERIALS AND SIMILAR TEXTILE GOODS WITH A NET-LIKE BASIC PATTERN Filed Dec. 15, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig, 3

IN V EN TOR:

BY R0440 THINK A W MM Feb. 28, 1956 R. c 2,736,179

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CROCHET CURTAIN MATERIALS AND SIMILAR TEXTILE GOODS WITH A NET-LIKE BASIC" PATTERN Filed Dec. 13, 1954 Fig. 5

Rudolf Dil'firich 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

BY Wcsf m Z United States Patent METHOD AND APPARATUS FGR MAKING CRO- CHET CURTAIN MATERIALS AND SIMILAR TEXTILE GOODS WITH A NET-LHKE BASH: PATTERN Rudolf Dittriclr, Marienheide, Germany Application December 13, 1954, Serial No. 474,951

Claims priority, application Germany December 17, 1953 3 Claims. (Cl. 66--85) Curtain materials and similar textile goods with netlike basic pattern or background are generally produced on bobbinet machines, wrap looms, Raschel knitting machines or galloon crocheting machines. Of the meshforming machines serving for producing such goods galloon crocheting machines have been found particularly suitable, because they turn out a material with a clear and regular net-like background. Every fabric produced on a galloon crocheting machine consists of warp and weft threads, the warp threads forming a chain of meshes extending in the longitudinal direction of the finished material. For producing the net-like basic pattern the weft threads must be bound in the mesh chains of the warp threads so that they form continuous transverse threads at the desired distance apart.

In order to produce the chains of meshes with the warp threads, crochet needles are used which, coperating with the thread guides for the warp threads, the so called eye needles, reciprocate in a substantially or at least approximately horizontal plane, whereby the eye needles loop the warp threads around the crochet needles at each stroke they perform. The weft threads, for the purpose of being tied up in the warp threads, are moved to and fro by their thread guides transversely to the direction of movement of the crocket needles and are also brought below the plane of the crocket needles for each weft pass between the individual rows of meshes. The warp thread guides are mounted on pattern controlled rods or holders which move to and fro above the crochet needles transversely to the movement thereof synchronously with the pattern control. For every group of weft threads which is not required for the net-like basic pattern another weft rod is necessary. The intricacy of the decorative design therefore depends upon the number of weft rods provided. The fineness of the net-like basic pattern, on the other hand, is determined by the lateral spacing of the crochet needles.

In the galloon crocheting machines hitherto generally known, the weft thread guides had to be sunk between the crochet needles in order to carry out a weft lay. This requires a relatively wide lateral spacing of the crochet needles, whereby only very coarse net patterns can be produced. With a view of avoiding this fundamental disadvantage the inventor has already proposed to pull down the weft threads by special hookshaped sinkers for the purpose of binding in the warp threads while the weft thread guides themselves move only in a plane above the moving-plane of the crochet needles.:

In view of the hook sinkers being comparatively very thin, the crochet needles can be arranged close together and thus produce a fabric with very fine net pattern. According to the known suggestions the swivel shaft of the hook sinker bar is to be located below the plane of the crochet needles in front of a stripper bar for the finished fabric. This arrangement of the sinker shaft and the use of hook or barbed sinkers is not suitable for all-requirements which arise when using very finethreads and for the making of fine crochet Work With intricate pattern.

The object of the present invention is to improve the crocheting process to be carried out on a galloon crocheting machine according to the above mentioned earlier suggestions of the inventor, in such a manner that it is possible to produce on such a machine fine, richly patterned curtain fabrics and similar textile goods with a net-like basic pattern.

Another object of the invention is to enable a galloon crocheting machine to be produced which, while being of simple, clear and reliable construction, is capable of carrying out the improved crocheting method. Within the scope of this general object a special aim of the invention is to improve the shape of the sinkers gripping between the weft threads and the crochet needles, as compared with the above mentioned suggestion.

Another special object of the, invention consists in imparting to the sinker shaft such a movement, or to arrange the sinker shaft on the galloon crocheting machine in such a manner that the sinkers, afterhaving brought the weft threads coming within their reach below the plane of the crochet needles, are removed out of the range of the crochet needles as soon as possible.

In order to attain the first main object of the invention the weft threads are, according to the improved crocheting method and using a galloon crocheting machine, pressed down below the plane of the crochet needles by sinker bars engaging the weft threads at an incline from above and behind, and subsequently bound in the proper mesh chains of the warp threads, whereas the weft thread guides move to and fro synchronously with their pat-l barbs or hooks. Accordingly the galloon crocheting machine according to the invention, contrary to the constructions hitherto known, has a rocker shaft arranged behind the weft threads and above the plane of thecrochet needles, for the sinker bars which can penetrate between the weft threads synchronously with the crochet needles and then swing downwards between the crochet needles.

An important advantage of the invention consists in that the space in. front of the finished fabric and the weft threads, apart from the eye needles necessary for laying the meshes of the warp threads, remains absolutely.

free. As a result there is an uninterrupted View of the working points of the machine and a better possibility of controlling the individual working operations. Moreover the eye needles have more play for carrying out their necessary movements than at the hitherto'known galloon crocheting machines. barbless sinker bars the weft threads do not get frayed on the sinker bar hooks which were provided in-the previous suggestions of the inventor.

The invention also presents the advantage that a muchlarger number of the weft rods mentioned at the outset can be provided than in the known galloon crocheting machines. Consequently it is possible to producev on.the

machine according to the invention curtain materialsand similar net-like crochet wares with a hitherto unattain able variety of decorative designs. H

The rocker shaft for the barbless finger sinker bars can if desired be arranged shiftable transversely to their pivot axis so as to allow this shaft to carry out a socalled translation movement. As the shaft is shifted towards the rear it pulls the downwardly swung sinker bars engaging between the crochet needles towards the rear out of the plane of the crochet needles, whereas the weft; threads brought by the sinker bars belowthe plane of,

. Patented Feb. 28, .1956.

Furthermore, by using the needles, are bound in the coordinated chains of meshes of the warp threads by the crochet'needles. If the sinker bar shaft then moves forward, it again thrusts the sinkers between the Weft threads at an incline fromv the top and from the rear. The translation and swinging movernent of the sinker bar shaft can be suitably. intercoupled, so that the two movements take place successively with a certain rhythm or at the same time.

If the sinker bar shaft is sufiiciently close to the working p ointof the galloon crocheting machine and the sinker barsare correspondingly short, the translation movement of the shaft can be dispensed with and only a simple turning movement of the shaft will suflice. Also in this instance it is important that the straight barbless finger sinkers can engage the weftthreads actually coming withintheir range at an incline from the rear and from above, and. that theweft threads which are caught can be pressed down below the plane of the crochet needles.

In-the accompanyingdrawing the parts of a galloon chrocheting machine which come into question for carrying out the process according to the invention, are illustrated by way of example in a simplifiedform.

In this drawing:

Figs. 1 and 3 show the parts in side elevation, partly insection, andin different operating positions;

Figs. 2" and 4 show these parts in corresponding front elevations, and

Fig. is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing several thread guides, several sinkers and several crocheting.

needles.

The weft threads are designated by 1 and the warp threads by 2; while the finished fabric with net-like basic pattern which is to be produced on the galloon crocheting machine is designated by 9. For guiding the weft threadsl' thread guides 3 are provided, a suitable numberbeing mounted mutually spaced on pattern controlled bars 10. For the sake of simplicity only one bar is shown. The warp threads 2 are fed in the usual manner through eye needles 4 to their respective crochet needles 7- and, by cooperation of both groups of needles, are worked into mesh chains. The crochet needles 7 reciprocate in a guide bar 11 in a horizontal plane in the direction of the arrow A. The finished fabric 9 travels downwards between the guide bar 11 and a stripper bar 8 and is wound in the usual manner on a not shown beam.

Above the plane of movement of the crochet needles 7 and, viewed" from the front, behind the weft threads 1 asinker bar shaft 5 is arranged on which straightfinger'sinker bars 6 are clamped. A weft thread guide I 3 and a finger sinker bar 6 are coordinated to each crochet needle 7. The sinker bar shaft 5 is capable of carrying out a swinging or pendulum motion in the direction of the arrow B and a thrust motion parallel or atanincline to the plane of motion of the crochet needles 7 transversely. to itspivot axis, in the direction of the arrow. C. The'pattern control of the weft bars 10, is adapted to shift these bars so as to reciprocate transversely to the moving-direction;of the crochet needles 7 in-the direction of thevarrow D. Therefore, the weft thread v guides 3;- carry out a corresponding transverse movement only above the moving-plane of the crochet needles.-7.

For binding the weftthreads 1 in the meshes of the corresponding warp threads'2, thesinker bars 6, as'the' sinker bar shaft 5 movesforward, are pushed between theweft-- threads 1 and, during the subsequent downswinging movement of the shaft 5, press the weft threads 1 downwards below the moving-plane of the crochet needles'7 where the threads l are caught by these needles in theirforwardmotion towards eyelet needles 4; On the return movement-of'the shaft 5 which follows, the sinker bars 6' are withdrawn from the range of the crochet needles 7 towards the rear and swungbaclointotheir initial positions, whereby a cycle of operation of the sinker bars 6'is terminated.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing it is assumed that in a preceding Working stroke of the machine the illustrated weft thread has been bound by a crochet needle 7a in a chain of meshes of a warp thread 2- produced by this needle. Now, if a Weft is to be laid between this chain of meshes and a neighbouring chain of meshes produced by a crocheting needle 7b, the weft bar 10 is shifted by the, pattern so far towards the left that the shown weft thread guide 3 is on the left of the crochet needle 7b and of a sinker bar 6 coordinated thereto. If this sinker bar now presses the Weft thread 1 downwards below the plane of the crochet needles '7, gripping it at an incline from the. rear and'from above the weft thread 1 comes in front of the needle 7b and is consequently bound in the chain of meshes produced by this needle. The weft is thus laid.

The weft thread guides 3'are arranged in groups, each group on a pattern controlled weft bar 10. According to their pattern controlthe various weft bars are individually shifted either for the production of wefts forming the basic net-like pattern or for the production of Wefts forming the decorative design or are not shifted at a working stroke of the machine, if no weft-laying is required at this special stroke.

The various mutually parallel weft bars 10 are so arranged or the weft thread guides 3 mounted thereon are of such a length that the outlet points of the weft threads 1 from all the weft thread guides 3 mounted on the different bars 10 are located at equal or approximately equal distances from the working points of the crochet needles 7, where the weft threads are bound; Preferably, seen in a vertical plane (Figs. 1 and 3), the lower ends of the Weft thread guides 3 are situated on the convexsurface of a cylinder, the axis of which is formed by a line connecting the working points of the crochet needles7.

Asthere are no obstructing mechanical parts in the front above the plane in which the crochet needles 7 and the eyeneedles 4 move, it is possible, on a galloon crocheting machine according to the invention, to provide a comparatively large number of weft bars 10 and consequently to produce on the machine curtain materials and the like with very elaborate decorative designs. Furthermore, the arrangement of the sinker bar shaft behind the weft threads 1 gives the operator of the machine an unobstructed view of the working points. As a result, the control of the fabric production is considerably simplified and any fault caused by a breaking or catching of a threadcan be detected immediately.

What I claim is:

1. A galloon crocheting machine adapted to produce crochet curtain fabrics and similar textile wares having a net-like basic pattern, comprising in combination: a number of spaced crochet needles arranged side by side and reciprocable in an at least approximately horizontal plane, a like number of similarly spaced weft thread guides, the lower ends of which being arranged at equal distancesfrom the working points of the crochet needles, a pivoted shaft arranged above the crochet needles behind the weft thread guides and, a plurality of straight finger sinkersrigidly mounted on said pivoted shaft, correspondingin numbervto the number of weft thread guides and crochetneedles and spaced from each other at distances equal to-those of these needles, the pivot axle of these sinkers being'parallel to the said moving-plane of the crochet needles.

2. A galloon crocheting machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein'the sinker shaft is shiftable transversely to its axis of rotation in sncha manner as, in a forward stroke, topush the fingersinkers between the Weft threads and toswing themdownwards, and then, in a rearward stroke, to-withdraw-the finger sinkers-from the range of 5 the crochet needles and weft threads and to swing them back into their former positions.

3. A method for the production of crochet curtain fabrics and similar textile wares having a net-like basic pattern on a galloon crocheting machine having a large number of spaced crochet needles arranged side by side and moving forwards and backwards in an at least approximately horizontal plane and having an equal number of weft thread guides fixed on pattern controlled weft bars, the latter being reciprocatingly movable merely above the moving-plane and transversely to the movingdirection of the crochet needles, comprising the steps of shifting the weft thread guides, each of which serves for laying a weft thread between neighboring warp threads at a stroke defined by the pattern control of the weft 15 bars, so far transversely to the moving-direction of the crochet needles that each of the weft threads passing out of the shifted weft thread guides may be gripped by a sinker operating laterally of the preceding binding point of this Weft thread and pressed under a neighboring crochet needle, pressing the weft threads for binding them in meshes of warp threads produced by the crochet needles below the moving-plane of these needles by means of oscillatable straight finger sinkers engaging the weft threads coming within their range at an incline from the rear and the top, and binding the weft threads in the meshes of the warp threads at each stroke of the machine in the usual manner by means of the crochet needles.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,316,647 Renault Sept. 23, 1919 

